BOSTON, Jan. 15 (UPI) --Eating more leafy green vegetables -- such as lettuce, kale and spinach -- can significantly lower the risk of developing primary open-angle glaucoma, or POAG, according to a new study.

Researchers at the Harvard Medical School found increasing dietary nitrate intake, specifically with leafy greens, improves blood flow in the eyes and can help decrease risk for the condition.

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POAG is characterized by slow pressure building in the eye, to which the cornea adjusts, leaving no swelling or other symptoms indicating a problem. Roughly one percent of Americans have the the condition,according to The Glaucoma Foundation, but do not know until their vision is impaired, when damage is generally irreversible.